KUCHING, Aug 22: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) is urging the Sarawak government to not celebrate the Merdeka Day this coming Aug 31 as it will only mislead Sarawakians into thinking that the State was a colony of Malaya.
Party president Voon Lee Shan said Merdeka Day refers to the moment when Malaya gained independence from the United Kingdom on Aug 31, 1957.
He stressed that the date was the independence day of Malaya and it has nothing to do with Sarawak because the latter only came into the picture during the formation of Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963.
“If Sarawak celebrates Merdeka Day then Sarawak government under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is admitting Sarawak is a colony of Malaya.
“Sarawak together with Singapore and Sabah were given as gifts to Malaya on Sept 16, 1963 to enlarge the territories of Malaya. Upon taking Sarawak, Singapore and Sabah as a gift, Malaya changed her name to Malaysia.
“Such acquisition by Malaya of Sarawak, Singapore and Sabah was against international law and under United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514.
“Sarawak has the right to self-determination to decide her fate whether or not Sarawak wanted to be part of Malaysia. There was no referendum been held for Sarawak to determine this before Sarawak was handed by the British to Malaya,” he said in a statement today.
Voon further said celebrating Merdeka Day will increase the resentment of Sarawakians against Malaya and against the GPS government because it is not only misleading but it tells Sarawakians that the State is indeed a colony of Malaya. — DayakDaily
